Between Land and Sea
by Crisis Rose
Summary: After the death of his parents, Athena's kindness gives young Prince Eric a second chance, and she takes him into her family. But not everybody is able to see in him what she does. Will a second chance be enough; and is it possible to find your way when you don't know who you are? AU. HIATUS (to continue, following the completion of ‘How to Save a Life’.)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello everyone!**

 **I had this idea whilst off ill this week, and just couldn't wait to get started. Enjoy!**

* * *

The gentle swell of the waves rocked the royal vessel rhythmically as it cut a sure path through the dark blue-green water of the ocean. The mood on board was cheerful, the sailors singing shanties as they hauled fishing nets in and out of the water. Two year old Prince Eric stood on his tip-toes, trying unsuccessfully to see over the side of the ship, his raven black hair being blown about his face in the sharp wind. A familiar pair of hands lifted him into the air, and soon enough he found himself in the arms of his mother. Finally able to see across the ocean, Eric marvelled at its size, at how it seemed to go on forever, and quickly became mesmerised by the twinkling of the late morning sun atop the waves.

"Pretty!" exclaimed Eric, looping his arms around the Queen's neck and resting his head upon her shoulder. Ottilie smiled at her son's excitement, and pressed a soft kiss to his rosy cheek. The look of wonder on Eric's face always filled her with such happiness, the way he found delight in the simplest of things, it brought such joy to the Queen, and indeed the entire Kingdom. She caught her husband's eye through the crowd of sailors, and returned his warm smile. Oh, how she prayed that her son would one day find a love as pure as hers and Frederik's.

The royal family were on their way back home after attending a banquet hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Glowerhaven, and knowing that marine life varied between the two Kingdoms, the sailors were taking full advantage of the journey.

The Queen stood still, holding her son close as he mimicked the rise and fall of the waves with his tiny hands, enjoying the peace and the warmth of the sun on her face. But the peace wasn't to last for long, as the sailors began shouting, and rushing over to the side of the ship.

"Mermaid! There's a mermaid!"

* * *

It had come out of nowhere. One minute, Athena had been swimming alongside her husband and daughters, her new born daughter Ariel giggling in her arms, the next she had found herself tangled in a mass of fishing nets. This was supposed to be a safe area of the Kingdom, a place that seldom saw ships, and certainly not ones that sought to capture marine life.

"Triton!" she gasped, trying to free herself but only managing to tangle herself more as the nets rose closer to the surface.

The sea King swam forward, instructing his other six daughters to stay exactly where they were, and began tearing at the nets. Had it not been his family tied up he would've wasted to time in blasting the nets and the ship above it out of the water but, as it was, he didn't want to risk it.

However, as his wife and youngest daughter disappeared above the surface, he was filled with such rage that it was no longer a conscious decision. He pointed the trident towards the ship, angling it away from where he knew his wife and daughter to be, and struck it with a blast of white hot energy, splintering the wood and blowing the vessel apart. The nets dropped back into the water, and Triton breathed a sigh of relief upon noticing that Athena seemed unharmed, and wasted no time in removing the nets that bound her. Young Ariel remained in her mother's arms, her eyes wide, filled with wonderment as she looked up to the destroyed human vessel.

"Athena are you hurt?" asked the King, placing a strong had on her shoulder.

Though visibly shaken, the Queen nodded, and followed her daughter's eye-line to where some of the heavier objects on board were beginning their descent to the ocean floor. Unmoving bodies were carried by the waves, both humans and fish, but one particular movement caught the Queen's attention. It was a young boy, who couldn't have been any older than her daughters, thrashing about just below the surface.

Throwing caution to the current, and handing Ariel to her husband, Athena swam swiftly to the boy's side, and lifted his small body above the waves. Harsh coughs racked his chest, as he expelled seawater from his lungs, spluttering as Athena rubbed small circles on his back.

"There, there, it's okay" she said softly, glancing around to make sure there was nothing that would pose a threat to her or the young boy. A soft sob caught her attention, and she looked down to see the child crying, his eyes darting round, wide with fear.

"Oh, darling…"

"Athena!" Triton cut her off, appearing besides her having handed Ariel to their oldest daughter, Attina. He froze as soon as he noticed to human boy she held in her arms. "What in Neptune's name are you doing?"

"I couldn't just let him drown Triton!"

"He's a human!"

"He's only a child, he hasn't done anything wrong, how could he?"

Triton gave an exasperated sigh, rolling his eyes as Athena attempted to calm the panicked toddler. It was so very _her_ to want to provide him with comfort, her personality shining in this moment. He was about to reason with her when the boy suddenly spoke up.

"Mummy?" he cried, his eyes frantically scanning the water.

The blood drained from Athena's face at his words, and she too scanned the water for any sign of the boy's mother, though deep down she knew that she wouldn't be able to reunite them even if she _did_ find her. She looked to her husband, but saw no trace of sympathy in his eyes; in fact, the sea King seemed completely indifferent to the situation.

"Darling, can you tell me your name?" she asked, turning her attention back to the toddler, and positioning him so that he was now facing her.

He stared up at her for a moment, tears staining his cheeks before answering timidly, "Eric."

"All right, Eric. It's going to be okay, I promise" said Athena softly, brushing Eric's hair back from his face. She knew that as young as the boy was, she couldn't lie to him. It _was_ going to be alright, she had meant every word of that, but she knew that it would take a while for him to get over what she was about to tell him.

"Darling, your mummy she's… she's not coming back." She had tried to break the news gently, and in a way that Eric would understand; but, of course, that didn't stop the news from being heart-breaking. The Queen could do nothing but hold the boy as he cried, racking her brain desperately for a solution, for a way she could help the child.

Still, Triton felt nothing in the way of sympathy for the child, he was a human, even if he posed no threat now, he would in the future, and if Athena let herself get attached to him, their entire family would have to suffer the consequences.

A gentle tug on the fluke of his tail drew his attentions back below the surface of the ocean. It was Aquata, twiddling her thumbs as she stared up at her powerful father.

"What's mummy doing?" she asked, curiosity evident in her voice.

Triton sighed. "I don't know dear, we'll go home soon though, stay with your sisters."

Aquata nodded, swimming back to where her six sisters were huddled together, some appeared frightened, all of them wanting to get home before anything else happened.

Resurfacing, he was greeted by the sight of his wife cradling the human boy in her arms, his eyes half-closed and his chest rising and falling steadily, tears slipping silently down his cheeks as he cuddled up to the Queen.

"We have to help him."

Triton could only stare at his wife. "What?"

"Triton, his family… we can't just leave him here."

Noticing the look in Athena's eyes, and connecting the dots, Triton was suddenly overcome with irrational anger.

"Absolutely not!" he thundered, the waves around them rising, causing Eric to cry out in fear and draw himself closer to Athena. "Do our daughters mean nothing to you Athena? Would you rather busy yourself with humans than them?"

"Of course not," insisted Athena, "but I won't have him left here alone. He can come with us… please Triton."

Seeing the seriousness in his wife's green eyes struck something within the King, and the waters calmed. He sighed, and placed a hand to Athena's cheek.

"You're too nice, you know that?"

Athena smiled, glancing from her husband to the boy in her arms. "He needs us" she said simply.

"He's a threat, or at least he will be when he's older, I don't want anything to happen to you or the girls" replied Triton, stuck between wanting to protect his family and wanting to please his wife. After all, it was his actions that had left this boy without parents. There was no sign of life anywhere, the remains of the ship in flames, and steadily slipping below the surface, destined to spend the rest of time at the bottom of the ocean.

Eventually he sighed, a plan forming in his mind, one that had aspects that would please both him and Athena.

"Alright, he can come with us," he began, "but after his twelfth birthday I won't have him in Atlantica after sunset, he can be a merman between sunrise and sunset, and a human at night."

"We don't even know when his birthday is!"

"Then we'll make it today" decided Triton.

Although she disagreed entirely with her husband, Athena knew that he wasn't going to be persuaded any other way, so she settled for agreeing with him.

"Eric, do you want to come with us darling, and we'll look after you?"

The young Prince nodded, his bottom lip trembling as the King pointed his trident towards him. Athena held the boy steady has he was enveloped in a bright golden light, and dipped below the surface as his legs were replaced by a cobalt tail.

Eric whimpered as his legs were assaulted by the most horrific case of pins-and-needles, and squirmed around in the arms of the woman who had saved him, kicking out in an attempt to make the sensation more bearable but soon finding that he was unable to move his legs as they were forced together. The frightened toddler began to wail, and panicked as he was dragged below the surface, instinctively trying to hold his breath but failing miserably as choked sobs escaped his lips.

Athena tried her best to calm Eric, her heart stopping for a moment when he slumped against her, seeming to lose all of his strength in only a second, but relaxing considerably when she realised that he only seemed to be sleeping. It had been an exhausting day for him after all.

"Mummy, who's that?" asked Andrina, swimming up to her mother to look at the boy.

"This is Eric, we're going to look after him" explained the Queen as her daughters gathered round. Ariel gave a series of high-pitched giggles, clenching and unclenching her fists in the boy's direction, her ocean blue eyes shimmering with wonder and excitement.

"He's staying with us?" queried Attina, struggling to hold a now squirming Ariel.

"Yes dear, he needs a family."

"Come on girls, let's go home" said Triton, drawing Adella and Arista into his arms and causing them to giggle. The human boy could stay, but he wanted nothing to do with him.

Athena knew this, but she was grateful that her husband was allowing Eric to stay. Her daughter's meant more to her than anything the world had to offer, but her caring nature wouldn't have let her leave Eric struggling at the surface, and whether Triton could see it or not, she knew that this boy would be loved by so many people, and that he would never pose a threat so long as they raised him well. She could persuade her husband to lift his curse in time she was sure of it, what mattered now was ensuring that this child never felt alone, and that he was made welcome and kept safe.

The Queen held Eric in one arm, took Alana's outstretched hand, and swam alongside her family towards the palace. Everything was going to be just fine.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I'm back!**

 **First of all I am _so sorry_ for the length of time I've been inactive, I hope everybody had a wonderful holiday season, and happy new year! Hopefully things will settle down again now, and I'll be able to catch up on writing and reviewing. Also, I haven't forgotten about 'How to Save a Life,' I've had the upcoming chapter half finished for some time now so hopefully I'll be able to publish that over the course of the month.**

 **Thank you for your patience!**

* * *

"Mummy? Mummy!"

Athena's heavy eyelids parted as she was woken from her sleep, presenting her with her third oldest daughter, Aquata, keeping herself steady above the bed upon which her mother and father slept, floating effortlessly.

"Aquata? Darling, was is it?" asked Athena, sitting herself up and reaching out towards her daughter.

"Eric won't stop crying."

Sure enough, in the silence Athena could clearly make out the clamorous wails of the human-turn-merboy, carried through the water and surely loud enough to wake the entire kingdom.

It had been just over a week since Triton used the power of the Trident to transform the recently orphaned boy's legs into a tail, and every night without fail he would wake, his cries usually reaching Athena's ears before Aquata came to inform her of the disturbance. And it always _was_ Aquata, the four year old having taken quite a liking to Eric since his arrival, taking on an almost parental role whenever Athena was busy despite being only two years older than him.

Lifting herself from the shell where she and her husband slept, Athena followed her daughter to the children's room, Eric's cries becoming louder by the second. Upon reaching their room, Athena found Alana, Arista and Adella huddled in the corner of the room, looking down upon a seemingly terrified Eric.

"Girls, back to bed please" said the Queen softly, easing Andrina down as she sought to join her three older sisters. The three mermaids obeyed immediately, swimming back to their beds and watching as their mother made her way across the room to the crying boy, humming softly as she swam.

Eric sat against the wall, his arms wrapped around his tail, hugging it to his chest, his face pressed against the shining cobalt scales as he tried to hide himself from the world, and his shoulders shaking with each sob that jolted his small frame.

Athena could feel her heart breaking as she looked down upon him, asking herself for the millionth time whether it had been right of her to bring him into this new and confusing world, to force him away from what he knew, to a place where he felt he would never fit in. Swallowing the growing lump in her throat, Athena lowered herself to the floor in front of Eric, and gently moved on hand under his chin. He was startled at first, and then seemed to retreat into himself further, pressing himself against the wall.

Slowly, Athena lifted his head until their eyes met, his sky-blue eyes marred by exhaustion and sadness, hers with love and sympathy.

"It's alright darling, don't cry" she said softly, placing her other hand on his shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Eric didn't reply. The Queen should have known that he wouldn't answer, he never did. In fact, the two year old hadn't said a word since he'd been here, avoiding eye contact whenever someone spoke to him, and cuddling up to Athena should they persist. She had become his anchor in this new and unfamiliar world, one in which he was still very much an outsider. The girls had tried their best to include him, asking him if he wanted to join in their games, offering to take him with them when they went outside the palace, but always the boy just shook his head and wrapped his arms around himself.

Sighing to herself, Athena took Eric into her arms, cradling the boy against her breast, her slender fingers working their way through the black knots atop his head.

"Don't be scared," she cooed, rocking him back and forth, "I've got you, you're safe here."

"Yeah, don't be scared!" said Arista, swimming over and wrapping her arms around Eric. Adella and Aquata did the same, the three girls wrapping their adopted younger brother in a tight and loving hug as Athena smiled down on them, feeling immensely proud of her daughter's kindness. Even Ariel, though only five months old, began cooing and reaching out, her tiny hands clenching and unclenching in the direction of the embrace.

Gradually Eric's cries died down and became quiet hiccups and sniffles, he blue eyes looking between the three girls who had only just detached themselves from him; and, for the first time in weeks, the merboy smiled at his new family.

"Mummy look! He's happy!" giggled Arista, spinning around the room.

Athena gave a relieved sigh, and she lifted Eric to gently kiss his forehead before carrying him back to bed and laying him down, turning back to her elated daughter's as she tucked him in.

"Alright girls, thank you very much for your help, but it's time to go back to sleep" she said, swimming over to pick up an energetic Ariel and then returning to perch beside Eric.

"Mummy, can you please sing to us?" asked Alana, adjusting herself in her bed so as to face her mother. The question was followed up by a series of excited squeals and pleas from her younger sisters.

Only moments later, Athena's enchanting voice filled the room, captivating the eight children as they settled down to sleep. It was a regularity, for every night Athena would sing her children to sleep, her gentle voice creating a calming atmosphere that ensured her children felt safe and loved. As well as this, it had also proven one of the few things that seemed to help Eric relax. Even Ariel's normally hyper attitude seemed lessened whenever the queen began to sing, her sea-blue eyes widening as she stared up at her mother with wonderment, her jaw going slack.

The song lulled the children to sleep fairly quickly as it so often did, at which point Athena let her voice drop to a soothing whisper as she returned a now dreaming Ariel to her bed, kissing her forehead as she finished her song.

"Good night my darling's" she whispered to the silent room, hesitating only for a moment before smiling and turning away.

How lucky she was, to have seven such kind and beautiful daughter's, and now a son equally so. Whether Triton would accept Eric as his son or not, the boy now seemed just as much a part of the family as anyone, and the girls certainly loved him.

"Mummy!"

Athena froze, turning on the spot as a timid voice broke through quietness of the night and to see that her eldest daughter, Attina, seemed to have followed her through the palace.

"Sweetheart, what are you doing? I thought you were asleep" said Athena, reaching out to her daughter and drawing her into her arms.

"I can't sleep" replied Attina, resting her head on her mother's shoulder as Athena began brushing back her hair, her slender fingers working their way delicately through the six year olds shoulder-length auburn hair, which was styled during the day and only really freed at night to contribute to a good night sleep. However, as a result of the currents and the gentle swell of the water, it tangled itself during the night, and had to be brushed for at least half-an-hour the following morning. Not that Athena minded, most of her daughter's loved having their hair brushed, the sensation calming both them and their mother, and a time for each one to spend a bit of time with Athena without the interruption of their sisters.

Athena smiled wistfully, but then realised what Attina had said, and her brows knitted together.

"Oh? Why's that then?"

"I'm scared."

Athena froze, her heart aching as she noticed the fear in the girl's eyes, that way she pressed herself against her, seeking both comfort and protection it seemed. As the eldest, Attina was always the one to take care of her younger sisters, making sure that they were safe, Ariel especially it had to be said; but now it seemed that she needed to be cared for just as much. Athena immediately felt bad, she was her mother, it was her duty to provide each of her children with equal care and love, but recently she had been so caught up in taking care of Eric and her other, younger, more needy, children, she had almost completely neglected Attina.

Pressing a gentle kiss to her daughter's temple, the queen sat down upon the windowsill, looking out across Atlantica and holding her daughter close to her bosom.

"What are you afraid of?" she asked.

When Attina didn't answer, Athena pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head, an action so gentle, and so loving that the mermaid princess couldn't help but lean into her mother, trusting her and ready to tell her everything that she had kept to herself for the past week. Still her mother persisted, uttering encouragement.

"Tell me sweetheart." Athena lifted the young mermaid's chin, and turned her slightly to the side until their eyes met. The queen honestly didn't know what words were going to come out of her daughter's mouth next, but there was one thing that she certainly wasn't expecting.

"Eric."

The queen was stunned to silence, wondering for a moment whether or not she had heard Attina correctly. _She was scared of Eric? Why?_ Athena was certain that Eric had done nothing to make Attina fear him; in fact she wasn't sure the boy could even frighten a sea snail. Taking her daughter's small hands in her own, Athena spoke again, though her voice was filled now more with confusion than concern.

"Darling, why are you scared of Eric?"

Attina looked down to the floor, her tail swishing back and forth rhythmically, though absentmindedly against her mother's.

"Daddy said he was dangerous," she mumbled, lifting her eyes upwards, "mummy, I don't understand, why did you bring him here if he's dangerous?"

Not for the first time, Athena found herself wondering how such a young girl could keep such things to herself, and why it was that Attina was willing to trust her father's judgement over hers.

"Oh darling, he's not dangerous, what would make you think that?"

"He was a human, and humans… they… they take us… daddy said so… they think it's fun mummy!" exclaimed Attina, her voice raising as she stumbled over her words.

The queen sighed. Triton was right to be wary of humans of course, they had the capabilities to seriously hurt of even kill folk of the sea; but so often he forgot that there had never been any proof of humans hunting their people for sport. It was true that they sometimes found themselves tangled in fishing nets and hoisted above the waves, but they found themselves back in the water more often than not. Yes, Atlantican's had gone missing in the past, but Triton had no way of knowing that it was the humans doing. Her husband's beliefs had been clouded by fear, and last week hadn't helped the matter one bit, and now it seemed he was inflicting those views upon their daughter's, tainting their young minds with suspicion.

"But he'd not a human anymore Attina, and he's only young, the same age as Adella, and you don't think she's dangerous, so you?"

Attina shook her head. "No, but she wasn't a human."

"And neither is Eric, not anymore," replied Athena. "Attina darling, Eric's much more scared of you than you are of him, this is all new to him and as long as we protect him, and love him, and care for him he'll never be a threat to us. I promise."

Attina cocked her head to the side, her delicate brows knitting together as she took the time to register what her mother had just said.

"But… if he was dangerous before then why did you help him? Weren't you scared?"

Athena smiled and shook her head, her expression kind, understanding her daughter's queries and more than willing to answer if it meant altering Attina's opinion of Eric.

"He's only a child sweetheart, just as you and your sisters are, he won't be dangerous unless somebody teaches him to be."

"So we just need to be nice to him?"

"I know you will be" said Athena, drawing Attina tighter into her arms and kissing her cheek before getting up and swimming back towards the room where her children now slept soundly.

Attina clung to her mother, thinking through all she had said. Who was she to believe if her parents each told different tales of humans? Had her father lied to her? Question swam round in her head as Athena tucked her back into her bed, making sure that she was both cosy and comfortable before moving to sit beside her, her slender fingers working their way expertly through the young Princesses hair, brushing it back from her face.

Attina yawned, leaning into her mother's gentle touches that so often provided her with comfort and reassurance, only now realising just how tired she was. But, there was one final question she had to ask.

"Mummy? Are grown up humans dangerous?"

"Not now darling," whispered Athena, not wanting to strike anymore fear into the girl's heart now, "you go back to sleep, and don't be afraid, you're safe here." Leaving behind a gentle kiss, Athena swam silently around the room, making sure that Eric and each of her daughters were warm enough before heading over to the room's entrance. "Sweet dreams."


	3. Chapter 3

Months passed, and then years and, although still unsure of himself and his surroundings, Eric began to very much come out of his shell. He would play with girls and laugh along with them, joining in with their make-believe as if he had never not been a part of it. Aquata still looked after him, and made sure that he was always included in their games, though it quite often made very little difference, for her sisters were always just as willing to let him join in, Ariel especially it had to be said. She had only been a baby when Eric first came to Atlantica, and so the opportunity for the two of them to interact hadn't often presented itself, Eric's unwillingness to speak and her inability to certainly not helping the matter in the slightest. But as the little mermaid had grown, and Eric had too in confidence, they had become the best of friends, and it was a rare sight now to see them apart.

Despite this overall acceptance of the boy however, Triton remained to be convinced that he would not grow to be a threat, and thus kept his distance, both physically and emotionally. Athena had tried to persuade him countless times to lift the curse that he had inflicted upon Eric before he'd taken his first breath under the waves, but was yet to succeed, and thus, the curse stuck, though the Queen was adamant that her husband would lift it in time. She simply wouldn't allow the alternative.

However, any hope the Queen had of this was shattered, swiftly and surely one afternoon in late summer, on a day that began like any other, a day that looked to promise only joy and happiness, but was to end a day that would be remember by the seven mermaid Princesses for all the wrong reasons, a day that they, at least, would never forget.

* * *

Athena took such joy in watching her children play together, for it reminded her that although she and Triton may not be able to provide their little mermaid's with equal attention all the time, they always had each other. And Eric too of course, who was currently scouring the seabed for shells with his sisters whilst the King and Queen swam hand in hand above them. Each time one of the eight children found a particularly beautiful or unusual shell, they would call the others over, and a series of squeals would soon follow if the shell was found to be inhabited by a no doubt startled creature.

It was the wedding anniversary of Triton and Athena, and the Queen had said that rather than hold a feast, which always took place once the children were asleep, the two should spend the day with their family, and so, the ten of them were currently making the short journey to a nearby secluded pool, where the merfolk were able to enjoy the surface world without the threat of humans. The two used to go there all the time before they were married, in fact, it had been the place where Triton had asked Athena if she would marry him; and they had been with Attina, Alana and Aquata when they were very young, but not since. It was a place that had never failed to bring happiness, and that is exactly what Athena wanted from today, to share this place with the ones she loved most dearly, that being her husband and her children.

* * *

Soon enough she and Triton were sat above the waves, the warm summer winds toying with their hair as they watched that lights of their lives playing together in the shallow waters, though in smaller groups now rather than all together as has been the case earlier. Alana was sat beside her mother, the Queen using strands of her daughter's hair to form tiny braids, before brushing them out with her slender fingers and starting over again with something new. Adella, Andrina and Attina were sat together at the edge of the pool, still engrossed in the shells they had found along the journey, and Aquata and Arista were swimming races against each other, asking their father to time how long it took them to swim once around the pools edge, only to immediately try and better it.

At the far end of the pool, where rock and salt water gave way to the green grass that had only today been seen by half of the family, sat Ariel and Eric, still only accumulating eight years between them, talking the language of children, a language that adults may often find difficult to follow.

Seeing the young boy staring up at where the grass gave way to clear blue skies made Athena's heart ache, for she realised that in the three years he had been with them, not once had he been given the chance to see the land, the place of his birth, and whereas it had been obvious that he had missed it terribly, to actually see him staring so longingly was what gave Athena chills. Again, she was forced to ask herself whether what she had done was right, whether the decision she had made on the boy's behalf had brought him more in the way of happiness or fear.

Kissing Alana and sitting her beside her father, Athena lowered herself into the lukewarm water of the pool, heated by the rays of the sun, and made her way over to where her youngest daughter sat with the human-turn-merboy. The three-year-old noticed her mother's approach first and giggled, holding her arms out until Athena took her into her own, holding her close and kissing her nose. Eric too smiled up at his mother, before his gaze drifted back to the land of man, a land which must have looked so daunting from a child's perspective.

"Are you alright darling?" she asked softly, sitting herself beside the boy and brushing back his dark waves of hair.

Eric simply nodded, leaning into her gentle touches.

"Mummy! Can we go up there?" said Ariel, pointing up to the hills, her large blue eyes shining with anticipation. Eric too seemed more alert after hearing his younger sister's proposition, almost as though he had been contemplating asking the very same question.

Athena simply smiled kissing both her children in turn before answering. "You know we can't darling, our home is down here, beneath the waves; only humans can go up there."

"Because they have feet!"

"That's right, they have feet, _and legs_ , so that they can walk on land, and we have tails and flukes so we can swim in the sea, that's why we each live were we do."

"But some humans can swim" pointed out Eric, remembering the many times that his mother and father had taken him to the sea, and he had watching the people of his father's kingdom swimming the surface, a skill that he, in his two short years above the waves, had never mastered.

"They can," agreed Athena, "but not all of them, and those who can wouldn't be able to live in the sea like us, they would…"

A sudden high pitched scream cut the conversation short, and all heads turned to edge of the pool to a sight which caused hearts to stop and eyes to widen in fear. Attina was thrashing around under a mass of thick black ropes, and behind her, preventing her from escaping to the safety of the water, stood a human male, his eyes hard and his stance menacing. Athena and Triton immediately looked to each other, both desperately seeking an answer as to how neither of them had noticed the man's approach.

In only seconds, chaos had broken out among the remaining sisters, and Triton had propelled himself towards the man, knocking him into the sea, with few other options given that the Trident had remained in Atlantica at his wife's request. He worked fast to remove the nets, ordering the rest of his daughter's back into the ocean.

"Mummy!" cried Arista, swimming into her mother's arms and clinging to her fearfully.

Without saying a word, Athena, with Ariel in one arm and Arista in the other, swam to where the still waters of the pool gave way to the now tumultuous waves of the open ocean and helped her daughter's over the rocks to safety.

"Swim down," she instructed them, "stay together and wait for me and your father!"

The girls did as they were told, and only once six of the seven daughters were safe did Athena look back to her husband, who still fought to free Attina whilst protecting her from the frequent attempts by the human male to drag her away. Heart pounding in her chest, Athena sought to help him, before noticing that Eric hadn't moved an inch, seemingly completely frozen with fear; and for good reason. Descending the sloping hills were at least another twenty men, some with nets in their arms, some holding out swords, the blades of which glistened blindingly in the afternoon sun, and still Eric didn't move, his eyes fixed on the men.

Athena called out to him, swimming to his side and gripping his arm.

"Eric, go! Darling you need to get out of here!" she begged, finally managing to get the boys attention, his eyes locking with hers, breathing elevated.

However, before either could move, a sudden sharp pain exploded at the base of the Queen's fluke, causing her to cry out, her head whipping round to examine the damage and the sight caused her skin to pale. One of the men had managed to drive his sword through her tail, pinning her to the rocks unless she wanted to lose her ability to swim completely. In seconds she was caught in the arms of four more men, and swiftly lifted from the water.

Eric remained frozen with fear, his eyes now locked with those of a man he was sure he recognised, his dishevelled brown hair and sharp features flashing in his mind from a day years ago, a day he had shared with his mother and father in the Kingdom of his birth.

"Eric, go!" screamed Athena, bringing the young boys attention back to the current situation, and fuelling his retreat in the water. And with the relief of seeing him safe, the world fell into darkness and her body dropped limp into the arms of her captors.

Hearing his wife's scream, Triton turned his attention, having just managed to dispatch the human and free his eldest daughter, and the sight that greeted him caused the waves to rise high above the rocks, breaking on top of the human men in an attempt to wash them away and hence return Athena to the water where Triton could better protect her.

But to no avail.

Many of the men fell, but not all, and in less than a minute the Queen of the sea had disappeared over the hill, leaving Triton to call her name over and over again, the waters still crashing forcefully against land of man. The land that had stolen a beloved wife, mother, friend and Queen. A land that forgiveness would never fall upon, at least not from the sea.

* * *

"Where's mummy and daddy?" cried Andrina from the arms of her eldest sister, shortly after Eric had fallen from the rocks and into the sea, whereupon Aquata had rushed to his side a dragged him down to where she and her sisters waited.

There came no reply to Andrina's question, only sobs and cries filled the silence, and Eric's laboured breathing as he pressed himself against Aquata, wanting more than ever to hide himself away. It was his fault. His delayed reaction to the attack was the reason why he had now lost his new mother, the second mother he had lost in only three years, except this time he had to live with the knowledge that the loss would be mourned by many others, most notably those who now surrounded him; and if the King had escaped unharmed… Eric knew that he would once again have nobody, for there wasn't a chance that he would grant him forgiveness.

"It's okay Eric" soothed Aquata, her voice thick with emotion, wavering at the concept of harm coming to one or both of her parents. The uncertainty of not knowing weighing down heavily upon the mermaid Princess, but still she forced herself to be calm, for the sake of Eric and for her sisters, many of who sat crying on the seabed, too afraid to search for their parents.

What seemed like hours passed before Ariel cried out, swimming up to the great shock of her sisters and into her father's arms. The other girls followed, surrounding the sea King, crying for him, asking of their mother's whereabouts, to which the King merely shook his head, his eyes hardening as they came to rest upon Eric. Anger swelled within him as the heartbroken screams of his daughters echoed across the seven seas, and his hand was around the boy's neck before he had time to think about what he was doing.

"You did this, your kind! I told Athena not to trust you and she ignored me, and you repay her kindness with this!"

"Daddy, stop it!" cried Aquata, gripping her father's wrist in seeing Eric's struggle to draw breath, the fear in his eyes as he realised the King's intentions.

As Aquata rushed to aid him, her sisters followed, and the King was forced to throw Eric to the seabed with an angered cry, for his daughters had seen enough violence already today and he did not wish for them to see more. Although, his hatred for the boy had manifested itself given the recent loss of his wife to the humans, and he would not allow Eric to lead his daughters to the same end, not as long as he lived. But in seeing the love his daughter's had for their… _brother_ … he knew that he could not kill him, and so devised another strategy to keep the human boy away.

He had told Athena that come the boys twelfth birthday he would be cursed to a human form between sunset and sunrise, but that sentence would begin today, and he need not obtain any memory of his time as a part of this family either, it would only lead to him to ask questions when he was old enough to do so. Triton wouldn't allow that; he would protect his daughter's as he should have protected Athena, and to protect them, meant getting rid of the human boy, immediately.


	4. Chapter 4

The kingdom of Atlantica fell into silence as news concerning the loss of their Queen began to spread. Everybody seemed to just stop, work coming to a halt, the lives of each citizen suddenly becoming centred on grieving and mourning the loss of a much loved woman who, to many, had seemed more a friend than a monarch. But none grieved more than the family who had watched her disappear, her husband, her seven daughters, and the human boy she had saved and taken lovingly into her care.

The journey back to the palace was a sombre one, and a slow one, the tension that hung in suspension around them weighing heavily upon the children as they sought their father's comfort and at the same time, to protect their brother from the unwavering hatred that the sea King held against him.

Unfortunately, it had soon become apparent that Triton was in no fit state to help his daughters, blocking out their cries as best he could, swimming ahead of them and only glancing back every so often to ensure that they were still following him, grief filling him to the point where he no longer trusted the tenuous grip of control he had on his own emotions.

Alana held Andrina as the younger girl wept, her cries hoarse now after so long. There were only four years between the two girls, but without Athena, Andrina had sought motherly comfort through her older sister in the hope that she would be able to replace the love that the late Queen had felt for her children. She had tried seeking comfort from her _eldest_ sister, but Attina hadn't said a word since the incident above the waves, and lagged behind the rest of her family, arms wrapped around herself and her head ducked. Her father had been right about humans… about Eric. Why hadn't her mother warned her? She had said that as long as they loved their little brother he would never lead them to harm! She had lied. _Hadn't she?_ Her father certainly seemed to think so.

With a heartbroken sob, Attina brought her hands to her eyes, hiding herself from the world. She was so confused, so lost, so unsure now of what she ought to believe. Her mind having been pulled so far form the truth it seemed, that she wondered whether it would ever find the right path again.

Arista and Adella, who swam with their arms wrapped around each other, noticed their big sisters distress; so odd was it that Attina showed weakness like this that at first they simply froze, unsure of what to do, before swimming quickly to each side of her and wrapping her in a tight hug.

Aquata looked back to her sister, only continuing with her journey once Arista and Adella arrived at her side and it became apparent that Attina had no intention of pushing them away. With the knowledge that her sister wasn't alone, the blue-tailed mermaid turned her attention back to Eric, whose hand she held tightly in her own.

Despite how long it had taken him to adjust to life under the sea, Aquata was certain that she had never seen Eric look so unsure of himself… so pale… so hurt. His entire body trembled, his tail working automatically as he swam alongside her, hardly aware that he was moving at all, or of where he was going, and simply allowed Aquata to pull him along.

She was only seven.

She wasn't ready for this… wasn't ready to support her brother and sisters… she had just lost her mother!

Aquata bit her bottom lip in an attempt to keep her emotions hidden, at least for a little while. However, as small arms tightened around her waist, it became apparent that she had been unsuccessful in doing so, and lowered her tearful gaze to three-year-old Ariel. The little mermaid swam beside her in a similar state as Eric, except now her face was lifted upwards, her sea-blue eyes wide with concern for her older sister, who managed to muster a small smile, her left arm pulling Ariel into a loving and protective hug.

"We'll be okay" she said, her emotional state meaning that her voice barley resembled a whisper. Even as she'd spoken, Aquata wasn't certain that her words were true; yet Ariel seemed to understand, merely nodding slightly and coming up to rest her weary head upon her sister's shoulder, being less able to make these long journey's given her three short years, but knowing deep within her that, not only Aquata, but all six of her older sisters, and Eric, would always be there for her should she need them.

* * *

Upon entering the palace and having made his way to the throne room, Triton turned stiffly towards where Aquata held tightly to Eric's hand with both of her's, Ariel having swam over to join Attina. Aquata's eyes pleaded with her father as she stared up at him with bravery and determination that far surpassed her seven short years.

"Aquata, go with your sisters" instruction Triton monotonously, motioning with his head to where the other six girls were filtering slowly into the corridors of the golden palace, their faces downcast and their small frames trembling with fear and despair.

"No!" exclaimed Aquata, gliding in front of Eric in an attempt to protect him, her bottom lip trembling as she fought both the tragic and recent loss of her mother and the knowledge that her father would show Eric no mercy the minute they were left alone. "It wasn't his fault!"

Triton sighed, his eyes steely as he took the trident into his hands, the power that it held never ceasing to amaze him; however, never before had he used that power in the way he would now, and never on one of his own daughters.

Turning back to Aquata, the sea King regarded her with sorrow; he didn't want to do this, his hatred was with the human boy, not her. Yet he felt he had no choice, and lowered the trident in her direction, marvelling at the fact that she made no attempt to avoid the golden light that flowed from its tip and enveloped her, her desire to protect Eric being far stronger than the care she had for herself in this instant.

In only a matter of seconds, the Princess's eyes were pulled shut, her body falling limp as the weight of sleep overwhelmed her. Triton swam forward and took her in his arms, pressing a kiss to her temple for handing her off to one of the maids that worked for him.

"Take her upstairs, and put the girls to bed" he said, watching as she left before turning his attention back to the boy whose people had destroyed the happiness of his family.

Unsurprisingly, the boy hadn't said a word since his conversation with Ariel above the waves and remained sobbing softly, his arms wrapped around himself and his eyes fixed on the ground, too afraid to meet the gaze of the sea King. He had never had to face up to his foster-father before, Athena having always been there to protect him and to keep her husband's anger at bay; and so it was needless to say that Eric was terrified, knowing full well that he didn't stand a chance against the power and might of the King even when he was _without_ his trident.

Even so, this provoked no sense of sympathy, and without wasting another second, Triton angled the Trident towards the boy, a lightning bolt of white energy striking the five-year-old and sending his body reeling backwards against the far wall of the throne room.

An agonised scream tore through the waters, the young human-turn-merboy's head thrown back, his body convulsing as pain wracked every fibre of his being. So horrific was the pain that the five-year-old made no attempt to fight against the darkness that pressed so heavily against his mind, and succumbed to unconsciousness the moment it was within his grasp.

Still the sea King remained unwavering in emotion, his lips pressed into a tight line as he regarded the boy, who's limp body continued to be pressed against the wall by the immense power of the trident, the force of which was surely enough to leave him bruised if not completely broken. If Triton had been able to form a single rational thought he might have realised the severity of what he was doing to the boy; but the recent and sudden death of his wife had rendered him unable to recognise anything but hatred for the people of the land and the boy that had been the link between the two.

Finally, he allowed the power of the trident to cease, Eric's bruised and battered body falling to the floor, his breaths shallow. A twinge of guilt flared through Triton as he regarded the five-year-old, his thoughts being pulled back three years ago to the image of his wife as she saved the life of the very boy who now lay unconscious at his hands. What would she think of him?

Straightening up, Triton shook the thought from his head. Athena was gone, and he would deal with the boy in the way he deemed appropriate.

* * *

Swimming through the kelp forest, Triton began to notice a growing feeling of unease swelling within him. He had no way of knowing that the trident had done what he had intended it to, he couldn't know until Eric awoke, and so far the boy hadn't so much as stirred, remaining almost completely motionless save for the slight rise and fall of his chest. His intention had been to wipe the boy's mind completely, leaving him with no trace of memory that he had ever been a part of his family, or any other family for that matter, and hopefully that uncertainty would deter him from ever returning to Atlantica.

Only now noticing that he had arrived at his destination, and regarded before him a small run-down house, secluded from civilisation completely.

Raising a fist, Triton pounded on the door, only having to wait a moment before a mermaid in her early forties opened the door, her deep purple tail seeming darker, almost black, given the density of the forest around them and her grey-streaked chocolate-brown hair tied in a loose bun at the base of her neck.

A shocked gasp escaped her lips as she came to realise who stood in front of her.

"Your majesty!" she exclaimed, her voice shaking as she sunk into a curtsey before the King, and her eyes widening as Triton held out a young boy by the wrist before her.

"You owe me a favour Nastasya," he said flatly, "… take him."

With a little hesitancy, the women reached out and took the boy into her arms, immediately struck speechless by the bruises that covered his body and blanching at how every one of his joints seemed to crack at the movement.

"What happened to him?" she asked, her voice coming to nothing more than a whisper.

"You needn't concern yourself with that," replied the King, "his name is Eric, and each night at sunset his tail will be replaced by two human legs, to be reversed again at sunrise. You will take care of him and prevent him from asking unnecessary questions. Do you understand?"

Nastasya couldn't bring herself to reply, her mouth hanging open as she tried to take in all she had just learned.

"He… he's just a boy," she muttered, her heart aching for the little merboy in her arms, "what could he have possibly done to deserve that?"

Triton narrowed his eyes, regarding Nastasya with a cold gaze before turning and swimming quickly back the way he came, leaving Eric with the long and draining journey of figuring out who he was and where he belonged, and Nastasya with the even more difficult job of helping him through it. There had been no reason for Triton to leave Eric with someone who would care for him, he could have simply abandoned him and left him to fend for himself. It was only the memory of Athena that he lead him to the decision to leave Eric with Nastasya.

As soon as he was out of sight, Triton sighed, tears coming to his eyes as, despite everything, he realise that he had succeeded only in disregarding the most prominent memory he and his kingdom had of Athena's kindness.

Then again, if it hadn't been for Eric he wouldn't have needed to.

This was his fault; his and that of the world in which he had been born.


	5. Chapter 5

The streets of Atlantica were eerily quiet, the residents of the golden city having retreated to their homes following the return of the King and his daughters. Occasionally, a family or couple would exit their home and pay a brief visit to the florist, before taking their purchase and laying it before the gates of the royal residence; gates which were, for the first time in as long as anyone could remember, closed. Already what must have been over five hundred bouquets lay beneath those gates, swaying gently in the current, some adorning short messages of condolence. Many citizens hesitated, waiting with their head bowed as they sent silent prayers to the seven daughters of the Sea King, who would live the rest of their lives without the kind influence of their mother, and to King Triton himself, who had loved Athena more than anyone. Unsurprisingly or otherwise, very few spared a thought for young Eric, the boy whose arrival had caused so much controversy.

Perhaps it was merely shock of such tragedy that caused their minds to neglect him

Perhaps they saw little point in praying, knowing already that nothing could save him from the wrath of their King.

Perhaps they simply didn't care.

However, there remained those few who did care, high up in a tower of the great palace, hidden from view, resided the seven daughters of King Triton and Queen Athena. The girls sat wrapped up in each other's arms and three maids: Zohra, who had been instructed by the King to watch over them and help them through their grieving, and the two she had selected to aid her, Medina and Cedar.

Zohra, the eldest of the three, and having served over fifty years in the royal household, sat before Attina and Alana, their small and trembling hands in hers as she willed them to stay strong for the sakes of their father and younger sisters. She realised though what a massive ask that was as Attina broke down in tears, the nine year old suddenly finding herself the closest thing to a Queen their Kingdom had.

Triton's eldest daughter was terrified, confused, hurt beyond words… and angry. Angry at her mother for telling her that her father was wrong about humans, that they weren't as horrible as he said they were. Angry at her father for not doing more to prevent her mother from being taken. Angry at herself for _being_ angry. She knew it was irrational anger, her fear and sadness manifesting into some other emotion. _Why had her mother lied to her? Had she not known the threat that humans posed?_ Attina was sure that her mother had known everything, being the person that she went to most often when she was puzzled or uncertain.

"Tina?"

Hearing her sister's voice, the mermaid Princess turned herself, throwing her arms around Alana's shoulders and weeping, her cries merging with those of her younger sisters.

Alana, for her part, simply didn't know how to respond. Her younger sisters had always sought Attina for comfort when their mother had been unavailable, and so she found herself without the subject understanding required to help Attina at all. How could she ease her sisters pain when she herself was hurting so?

She turned her wide, frightened eyes to Zohra, who looked down upon the two girls with pity.

"Be strong, things will get better soon" she reassured them, although understanding that it would take a long time for all of them to get through this, some longer than others. She glanced over at Medina, her apprentice, who sat upon swam back and forth in a gentle almost hypnotic rhythm, Adella on the vey brink of slumber in her arms, though the cries of her sisters likely made it difficult for her to allow sleep to claim her completely. Perhaps it was for the best, for there would surely be nightmares awaiting the Princesses the moment they found themselves spent enough to rest.

Arista, though still only young herself, lay beside four-year-old Andrina, her pale arms wrapped around her younger sister as she sobbed into her pillow. It seemed that she herself had no more tears to give, and so found herself merely whimpering, curling herself into a ball beside Andrina. She had always depended on her mother for so much, not being as brave as her sisters when it came to their explorations about the palace grounds and surrounding kingdom. She had stuck close to her mother's side her entire life, and now, with her gone, the fourth daughter of Triton felt so hopelessly lost, so unsure of herself and of the future. Academically she struggled enormously, something that was apparent even after only two years of tutoring. Her father had called upon the very best tutors to help her, but the skill of reading and simple arithmetic hadn't been something that they were able to help with, it just didn't make any sense to her.

Arista recalled the nights she had spent crying, as younger Adella had swiftly surpassed her in their lessons. Her mother had approached her one morning, and the two of them had spent hours devising a teaching method that she could follow and that she understood; her mother had then insisted upon delivering those lessons to Arista herself. Slowly but surely she was catching up to her sisters, but now with her mother gone she would surely fall behind again.

Laminating on all that she would miss about her mother, Arista's tears returned, and she retreated into herself once more.

Zohra watched the scene unfold with a heavy heart, before her gaze was drawn to the window where Cedar, the youngest of the three maids, sat there upon the sill, little Ariel, who bore an uncanny likeness to her mother and would no doubt grow to be equally as beautiful, wrapped protectively in her arms.

If it were possible to read her thoughts, one would likely assume that she was older than three, for they were conflicted; half her mind upon her mother, and half upon Eric. She felt a deep sadness that neither were there with her, and some part of her knew that neither would be again. Perhaps, she thought, perhaps she would see them again. Perhaps her mother would be returned by those who had taken her, maybe they just wanted to be her friend; after all, who wouldn't? Perhaps her father hadn't punished Eric so severely as she feared he had, perhaps he had only wished to talk to him, to comfort him. It was these thoughts of hope that betrayed her youth, her inexperience.

But, surprisingly it wasn't the Princess who attracted _Zohra's_ thoughts, it was Cedar herself, or rather her name. How strange it was that she should be named after something found only on land. What had possessed her parents to make that decision?

The door burst upon suddenly, the purple seaweed the hung at the entrance to the girls bedroom torn away to reveal a furious looking King Triton, flanked by four guards, all of whom swam across the room with surprising speed and agility, taking an obviously painfully firm hold of Cedar and placing Ariel upon the bed to their right.

"Stay away from my daughters!" boomed the sea King, causing many of the girls to flinch or turn away.

After struggling at first, Cedar realised that even one of the guards would have been far stronger than she, and that she had no chance against the four that now held her. She ceased fighting them, simply allowing herself to be dragged from the room, but not before turning her head to the King.

"I would never hurt them" she said, mustering all the courage she could to ensure that her voice didn't betray the almost paralysing fear that had rooted itself in her heart.

Whatever she had been hoping to achieve with that statement came to no avail, for she was forcibly removed from the room, long brown hair drifting almost hauntingly behind her, and King Triton's eyes holding such anger that neither maid nor Princess could meet them.

"A poor choice on your part Zohra" he spat, before at last leaving the room, his daughters staring after him with a mixture of terror and longing in their sad eyes.

Zohra could comprehend nothing but shock, both at what had just happened at the King's final words. _A poor choice_ … was he referring to Cedar? Zohra had chosen Cedar to help comfort the girls because she knew Cedar to be incredibly kind and caring by nature; how could that possibly constitute a poor choice?

The older maid thought back to Cedar's arrival at the palace as a maid a little over ten years ago, a guard had been instructed to escort her wherever she went, as though the King sought to protect her. Although the way he had looked at her suggested that he didn't care at all for her safety, he had looked about ready to strike her down at any given moment. She had thought it strange at the time, but the guard had disappeared after a year or two, and the King seemed to pay no attention to Cedar whatsoever.

Little Ariel's spluttered cry broke through the stunned silence, Medina taking it upon herself to console her, Adella still in one arm.

"There, there," she cooed, "don't you worry, it…"

Zohra didn't hear what remained of Medina's sentence, for her attention was drawn to the bed behind her, in which Aquata had, until now, been sleeping. Such was not the case in this instant, and Zohra assumed that her father's outburst had been what had awoken her. Ironic, seeing as he had been the one to put her to sleep.

The seven-year-olds body felt heavy as she pushed herself into a sitting position, a side-effect of being engulfed by magic emitted by the most powerful item under the sea, perhaps the whole world, though she had no way to be sure. Rubbing at her eyes as scanning the room wearily, the young Princess tried her best to discern whether she had dreamt the day's events, hoping that she had but knowing with only one glance at her heartbroken sisters that that wasn't the case.

For some reason her hand went to her hair, brushing against the white pearls that held it in place; pearls that her mother had neatly arranged there just this morning. She recalled once that as she had been waiting for her mother to style her hair, she had called Eric over and placed those pearls atop his black waves of hair as though they were a crown. The action itself had caused him to giggle, and once he caught sight of himself in the mirror he hadn't wanted to take them off.

With a sad smile, Aquata looked towards Eric's bed and, not seeing him there, began an almost frantic search of the room, her eyes scanning every inch from the ceiling to the floor and back again.

"Eric!" she called, wondering perhaps if he were hiding.

Her sudden cry attracted the attention of all in the room. Some of her sisters, most noticeably Ariel and Alana, began looking round as she had done, Ariel wondering whether her older sister had called Eric's name having spotted him and Alana simply noticing for the first time that their brother was nowhere to be seen. He _had_ come back with them, _hadn't he?_ Or had he been taken too?

No, no she was certain that he had come back. But where was he now?

Alana looked back to Aquata, the sister closest in age to her, with both confusion and sadness in her eyes.

"Aquata."

The name wasn't spoken harshly, but still held an element of firmness to it, giving Aquata little choice but to meet the gaze of she who had spoken it.

Zohra swam from Attina's side, coming to a halt before the Princess whom King Triton had warned her would ask after her foster-brother, and regarding her with steely eyes, repeating what the King had instructed of her over and over in her mind.

"Princess you are to forget about that boy, he betrayed you," she said, before turning so that she might address all seven girls at once, "all of you. He is the very reason you find yourselves without a mother. He –"

"No!"

The room fell once again into a dumbfounded silence, all eyes being drawn to Aquata, whose tearful eyes deceived her, being a clear indication that she was not as confident as her outbreak had made her sound.

"It's not true," she continued, her voice now much quieter, "he didn't do anything wrong… he wouldn't… mummy promised."

At the mention of their mother, most of the girls hung their heads, many in an attempt to hide their tears. In fact, it was only Attina who remained staring at Aquata, she and Ariel, the eldest of whom recalled the conversation she had had with her mother years ago, when she had been very frightened and unsure of herself. She had _lied_ then, hadn't she? Lied about Eric, and about his growing desire to protect them should they but love and care for him.

Attina suddenly found herself wishing that she had listened to her father, and that she had warned Aquata about humans... _about Eric_. It would have saved her from getting hurt.

Zohra watched as a deep concern masked Attina's face, and as Aquata, once so certain about Eric, began to doubt herself.

Had Ariel possessed the ability to accurately speak her mind she would have defended her sister, defended Eric, defended their mother, but given her age she found herself unable to form the words to express her opinion, thus, she remained silent, the memories she had of Eric and of her mother already beginning to fade, despite her desperate attempts to cling to them.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**

 **Just quickly I want to thank everybody who has so far read or reviewed this story, I'm sorry that updates don't come very frequently, but I will write whenever I get the chance. Oh! and Axantur, thank you for inspiring me with your own stories, there's a bit of 'Atalantë' in this chapter I think.**

* * *

It was dark in Nastasya's home, almost pitch black save for the two bioluminescent sea sponges at either end of the room, the suns light didn't travel far after two hundred metres, and even if it did, the towering kelp that surrounded the house would have blocked it out anyway. It was cold as well, not freezing, but the current carried with it a constant chill that engulfed the one-roomed house and often caused Nastasya to wonder whether there had been any point her putting up walls in the first place. In twenty five years they had not once served any other purpose than to block her from view, though given that she'd seen nobody but the King and Queen – and now Eric – in all her time living here, even that seemed a pointless excuse at times.

The mermaid sighed, resting her chin in her right hand, and glancing over at the five-year-old boy who tail seemed to almost match the colour of his hair at this depth. _What was his story?_ She wondered, thinking back to what the King had told her. Prevent him from asking unnecessary questions is what he'd said, but Nastasya fumed that even if he did she wouldn't be able to answer them. Was she supposed to make something up, or remain silent?

She had, having trained for years as a nurse in Atlantica, tended to his injuries as best she could without knowing the full extent of them. His left wrist was broken, of that she could be certain, and the bruising to his chest suggested the same of several ribs. That combined with the dozens of cuts and bruises meant that all in all he looked a mess, and Nastasya wondered for the millionth time what could have happened to him.

A small, strangled groan startled her to alertness, for it was the first sound Eric had made since his arrival. Nastasya sat upright in her chair, what she could only describe as fear gripping her heart in a tight iron-like cage. She had never been given the chance to raise a child before, and now, suddenly, she was expected to do just that, for a boy she knew next to nothing about. A little bit of her hated him, simply for being here, for ruining her isolation; and another part of her hated _herself_. This wasn't his fault… it couldn't be, and it was selfish and cruel of her to blame him for anything.

He groaned again, and this time he was able to force his eyes open just a crack, causing whatever hatred remained within Nastasya to melt away, for they shone even down here, the brightest blue she had seen in a long time.

But full of such pain.

Nastasya's eyes stung as she looked down at him, slowing growing in awareness, his features twisting into a grimace shortly before a spluttered cry was pushed past his lips, and that was all it took. Nastasya scooped him into her arms, wary of his injuries, and held him against her bosom, held him with such care that any passer-by would have assumed him to be her own flesh and blood without sparing the matter a second thought. And, if she closed her eyes, she could almost trick herself into assuming the same.

* * *

A sharp, stabbing pain ripped through Eric's chest the moment he regained consciousness, and his head pounded even more severely than it had the time his mother and father had taken him to the carnival. That being all he remembered of the event. He was vaguely aware of someone beside him, though lacked the energy to lift his head and find out who. Was it his mother?

Which one?

Something akin to fog on an early spring morning clouded his mind, and suddenly his memories of the carnival, of his mother… _mothers_ … disappeared. Each face he tried to recall vanished, every place, every event, birthdays, Christmases, all gone, until he struggled even to remember what sight would greet him should he look in a mirror.

There was someone sat beside him. Who? He didn't know. His mind was blank, had he forgotten something?

He willed his eyes to open.

His chest hurt.

His head hurt; and suddenly he felt very small and very alone.

He began to sob, and suddenly a pair of warm arms engulfed him, setting his body afire as every bruise, every ache made itself known. He hadn't the strength to move, and so was unable to free himself. However, over time, as his throat grew sore from crying, the arms around him began to feel ever so welcoming, and the soft touches along is back and upper arms began to feel familiar. He lifted his eyes, his vision failing him for a brief but frightening moment, before a face became visible through the darkness. The first face he recalled seeing.

"Mummy?" Eric croaked, his voice never reaching above a whisper.

Nastasya was stunned, suddenly unable to move, or to speak, her fingers halting at the base of the boys neck.

 _Mummy?_

She wasn't, not even close, in fact she was a complete stranger to the boy; he knew less about her than she did about him, and that seemed almost impossible.

But here, in this moment, he looked so lost, so fearful, that she was suddenly overcome with a consuming desire to be to this boy whatever he wanted her to. If a mother was what he needed, a mother she would be. After all, what other option did she have without being able to tell him the truth? And so, with a smile on her face and love in her heart, she held Eric closer and nodded.

"That's right my love, don't worry," she reassured him, her brain working quickly to spin a believable story, "you've just hit your head that's all, it'll be alright."

For a moment she felt terrible, not only was she leading him to believe lies about her, she was leading him to believe lies about himself as well. Would he question them when he was older? Deep down Nastasya knew that he would, _anyone would_. One day he would find out about the golden city hidden from their view behind miles of tall kelp, he would question why they lived in such a remote location, how that had come to be. He would learn the workings of a nuclear family and question where his father was. _Where was his father?_

Nastasya sighed, glancing down to find that Eric's eyes had never once left hers, as though he were afraid that as soon as he couldn't see her she would disappear. She offered him what she hoped was a reassuring smile, pushing her fingers through his hair, desperately wishing that she didn't have to lie to him. He seemed such a sweet boy, yet Nastasya wondered whether someone who was brought up on lies could remain so. Surely not, what with him being uncertain even as to which world he belonged in…

Nastasya gasped, rising from where she sat, Eric still in her arms, and swimming quickly from her home, whereupon she tilted her head back, eyes alighting upon the red hue of…

 _Sunset._

Without a second thought, not that she knew exactly what to think about, she swam upwards towards the surface, something that she hadn't done in years, stopping only when she was close enough to be able to reach up and feel the wind upon her calloused fingertips.

Tomorrow at the same time she would realise all she had failed to take into consideration; what should she take with her? Food was something she would later regret neglecting. How far was it to shore? The thought that she would have to get Eric there had not yet crossed her mind, and not only get him there, but then find somewhere safe for him to take refuge until the sun rose once again, so many hours from now. Would he be cold, scared, and more importantly, what would she do to right those two things? What _could_ she do? What if somebody were to find him – _them!_ – what would become of them then?

Perhaps it was just as well that she didn't stop to ponder this, for if she had she may never have reached the surface in time, having left it almost too late as it was.

Without warning, an ear-piercing scream tore from the throat of the five-year-old, startling Nastasya, for she felt certain that it could be heard miles away in Atlantica and beyond.

Eric writhed in Nastasya's arms, the pain that now shot through his tail being far worse than any he had ever suffered. He recalled another pain, something similar… this was a thousand times greater. It felt as though somebody were dragging a white hot blade down the length of his tail, splitting him in two. His chest too, while not as painful, was causing him a great deal of discomfort, his lungs being squeezed of their contents, suffocated.

If Nastasya had known just how blinding the pain was it would have come as no surprise to her when Eric fell limp in her arms, the subsequent convulsions that wracked his frail body propelling her above the waves.

She coughed, almost doubling over as she expelled the water from her lungs, before filling them once again, this time with air, so much lighter… just as she remembered it.

Eric heaved a shuddering breath from her arms, though seemed to remain unconscious, the only indication that he was in pain coming from the flickering of his eyes beneath his eyelids. His tail had been replaced by two legs, with dull blue pants in place of the shining cobalt scales. Outwardly, nothing else had changed.

The sky was a darkening pink, and to the east, about three miles away, lay the closest of human civilisation, a small but busy town, the palace of which sloped majestically downwards towards the beach and sea, becoming very much the focus of Nastasya's attentions.

What now?

She couldn't just leave Eric lying upon the sand overnight, nor could she stay there with him. She scanned the coastline, noting a collection of caves barely half a mile to the left of the palace. Would Eric be safe there? Would she? Having made up her mind that she ought to stay with him, at least until he was old enough to care for himself.

The swim to shore was a tiresome one, the quickly falling darkness set Nastasya off course a number of times, obscuring the view she had of her destination and hiding it from sight. She had to keep reminding herself to keep Eric's head above the waves, and the addition of his dead weight made swimming awkward.

It took her well over an hour to reach the mouth of the nearest cave, the moonlight being all there was to guide her. The waves rolled neatly into the cave, and onto the smooth sand that carpeted it. The rocks would become an issue in more tumultuous waters, but for now this would do nicely.

Nastasya half thought about starting a fire, given the ice-like impression that had set into Eric's bones. _Humans were so fragile._ She decided against it though, not wanting to give anyone reason to investigate their hiding place.

Eric awoke at around midnight, whimpering, shivering, hardly seeming to notice where he was or that were he to look down he would find two pant-clad legs. Nastasya had wrapped an old damp sail cloth around him in a sorry attempt to warm him up, yet the blue of Eric's lips and the chattering of his teeth was evidence enough that it had made very little difference.

"Oh, my love" cooed Nastasya, drawing Eric into her and rubbing his arms vigorously.

Tomorrow she should bring some scissors and a needle and thread, perhaps she could fashion a shirt from the sail cloth, perhaps when he was older she could send him into town with some money and he could buy something warmer, maybe some food as well. Was that too risky? Was it unfair to expect that of him? She decided that it was, and suddenly felt bad for even entertaining the thought. He was just a boy after all, lost, and scared, and confused. No, she would have to make do with what she had at home, and anything else she could find amongst the shipwrecks.

* * *

The transformation from human to merboy was, as Eric would discover early the next morning, not as painful as the reverse transformation, enough to reduce him to tears but not enough to render him unconscious. That would be the first time Eric was aware enough to realise that something had changed, that he was a boy of two half's, neither if which he knew anything about. He could swim just fine, or at least he would be able to once his injuries healed, and he could walk too, with only a slight limp. Nastasya found that strange, how had he learned to do that?

The question came only days later, when Eric realised that the same wasn't happening to his mother, that she wasn't gaining a human form at sunset, and it left Nastasya speechless, for she hadn't expected it the way it came.

"Why don't you change?"


	7. Chapter 7

It isn't true what they say; that the more often you experience pain the more bearable it becomes, that you become somewhat immune to it. After only a week of constant changes Eric had become increasingly fearful at the day's end, despite what Nastasya had told him, that he'd get used to it, that it wouldn't seem so bad after a while.

Such wasn't the case.

Shortly after his seventh birthday, Eric first attempted to ensure that the pain that came with changing form never again caused him anguish.

* * *

 _A Memory:_

"Eric, come on my love we haven't much time" prompted Nastasya, grabbing the previously prepared kelp and tuna salads from her kitchen. The sky above had slipped into a deep pink, and after two years she had developed a tendency to know exactly when the change would commence, most of the time managing to get Eric safely to the surface if not to the cave before it started. There had been several close calls in the beginning, especially with the coming of the winter solstice, and on a few occasions she had left it far too late. The change was swift, perhaps twenty seconds in total, not enough time, Nastasya had come to realise, to get Eric from the seabed to the surface.

Eric knew this too, and so the fact that he had made no attempt to move when she informed him of the approaching sunset bewildered her. Perhaps he hadn't heard.

"Eric," she tried again, louder this time, "we need to go now."

Nothing.

"Eric?"

The seven year old sat at the foot of his bed, motionless, his head turned away from the woman who had cared so dearly for him these past two years. Had she been able to see his face, Nastasya would've been by his side in an instant; as it were, she remained by the door, waiting. He had been quiet these past few days, too quiet, even for him, and Nastasya hadn't been able to figure out why. How could she though; for the thoughts that assaulted the boy's mind were far darker than any seven year old should ever be able to _begin_ to fathom.

Nastasya grew ever more worried with each passing second. When she approached him he pushed her away, when she asked what was wrong he began to cry, retreating into himself, and by the time Nastasya realised what he was trying to do it was too late. Eric screamed in agony, made a final weak attempt to refuse help… and then panicked, seeming to only then realise the true implications of his plan.

The look on his face as Nastasya bolted upwards with him in her arms was one that would haunt her to rest of her days. The sheer terror is his eyes the moment he found himself without breath so far from the surface, begging without words for her to do something.

Nastasya couldn't remember having swam so fast before… or since. She had made it to the surface, of course she had. Eric hadn't. He was too young, too weak. She had gotten him breathing again after half an hour, and uttered soothing words to him on the long swim to shore, whereupon she had held him close to her breast for hours, and listened to words she could scarcely believe.

 _He was only seven._

* * *

It was the spring of Eric's tenth year, half a decade after his arrival at Nastasya's secluded shack; although he didn't know this, to him it was a though he had lived there all his life, content asides from the crippling agony that assailed him every evening.

He was out stripping kelp, a bag his mother had made from an old sail and half the size of him hanging from his elbow, already heavy with what would later become his dinner, and a small dagger that had also been given to him by his mother, intended primarily for this job, and for protection should her ever need it.

This was a trip the young merboy had made every week for years now, the last dozen or so of which he had made alone whilst his mother soured the shipwrecks half a nautical mile north of the kelp forest for human objects they could use in their home.

It would be at least another couple of hours before he was expected to return home.

But there was something he wanted to do before that, something he had wanted to do for months now. In his isolation, Eric had inevitably grown curious, and today he had decided to fill that curiosity, if only partially.

His mother had told him almost on a daily basis never to venture too far from the house, that it was exceedingly dangerous and he could easily become lost. But Eric knew the forest couldn't go on forever, he had seen its edge, if only from a distance, when he made the assent to the surface every evening, and had seen the soft glow that emitted from somewhere beyond. Perhaps there was someone out there who could help him!

The path he took lead him in that direction; what if he were to keep going? Would his mother be mad?

He had debated this many nights as he lay upon the sand in the shadows of the cave that had in many ways become a second home to him, the moonlit beach and twinkling lights of the coastal village enchanting him, enticing him. That was but another place he wished to venture someday.

Perhaps he should make a list, and tick them off one by one.

Placing his bag gently upon that seabed and tying the loose cloth that acted as a handle around the stipe of the nearest plant, Eric held his dagger out to his right and experimentally sliced through the next dozen in quick succession. Upon turning back he could clearly see a path of damaged kelp, one that he sincerely hoped would lead him back to familiarity once he had reached his destination… _if_ he reached his destination. Realising the enormity of what he was about to do, Eric paused, wondering if he were brave enough, or whether he would turn back half way, suddenly too afraid of what might await him.

His life had been somewhat uneventful thus far, aside from the change he endured morning and night, but his mother had told him that nothing could be done about that. This was the first time he had elected to step outside of his comfort zone. What awaited him beyond the kelp forest?

Now there were two ways of discovering this: one, to ask his mother, something that he had done on countless occasions, only to be told that there was nothing of importance there, and that it was too dangerous a place for him to venture; and two, to go there himself.

He began at a measured pace, checking behind him every once in a while to ensure that the trail being left could be followed. A number of times he actually returned to the bag of kelp, just to reassure himself that getting back was possible. He had no way of knowing how long he had been swimming for, but soon the muscles in his tail burned, forcing him to stop periodically. It was a pain that he was used to, the changes from merboy to human and back again causing an almost permanent ache in the lower limb, one that was very much accentuated by movement and exercise. When he was younger it had practically paralysed him, though as he had grown older and stronger he had been able to regain the movement of his cobalt tail. There was no denying that it hurt though. This was the farthest he had ever swam without the assistance of his mother, and he was certainly beginning to feels the effects.

Still, he persisted, noting with relief that the kelp seemed to be thinning out somewhat.

After nearly an hour of navigating his way through the forest, of slicing kelp, the shadows that Eric called home gave way to open ocean. Limbs of sunlight penetrated the waves, reaching down as though the world above were extending a hand of welcome. A hue of blues and greens stretched as far as the eye could see, punctuated only by a cluster spectacular golden spires and surrounding… _were they houses?_ Still panting from the exertion, Eric cast his scrambled mind to the coastal village beside which he took refuge each night. What he now saw looked similar, only far grander… magical actually.

Wary of his mother's warnings, the young boy remained hidden, peering out from behind the tall kelp, marvelling at the spectacle before him, though wondering exactly what dangers his mother spoke of. What he saw certainly didn't look hazardous.

It's easy to lose track of time when one's mind becomes limitless. Until now, Eric had known very little of a world beyond the kelp forest, and had only been able to fathom so many ideas given what little he had been exposed to in his life. But now… well, now he knew the truth of it, and could hardly contain his excitement. Whatever fear he had felt melted away as he regarded with wonderment the underwater kingdom before him. Perhaps there were merfolk living there as there were humans living in the kingdom above!

He remained almost in a trance for hours, questions and thoughts coming forth faster than he could consider them. But there was one questions that persisted.

 _Why?_

Why hadn't his mother told him about this place? Why did they live in such isolation with such a magnificent kingdom only a short swim away? And, perhaps most importantly, was there somebody there who could help him?

* * *

Had Eric been able to see the palace more closely, he would have seen it's majesty in abundance; closer still, and such majesty may have been lost, for the mood within its walls quelled the initial feeling of awe almost entirely.

The King and his seven daughters lived mostly in silence, with the almost daily arguments between the sisters being one of the only instances when any sound at all echoed the many halls and rooms of their empty home.

The girls were nearing their teenage years, aside from Attina and Alana, who had already reached them, the former now spending the majority of her time studying for the day the kingdom of Atlantica would become hers. As she swam across the throne room once more, a stick held by her teacher lifting her chin, Attina began to wonder what trouble her younger sisters were no doubt causing.

Being the eldest, and with her father having become so distant, she had adopted the role of her mother, comforting the others when they became frightened or upset, as they so often did. The fourteen year old had steeled herself after the death of her mother, pushing away her own feelings of sorrow and focusing instead upon the task at hand. Her sisters would call her emotionless, and perhaps she was, but that was the way it had to be.

"Excellent Princess, that'll be all for today!"

Attina nodded, and thanked her teacher, making her way towards the room that she and her sisters shared, having no doubt that they'd all be there.

She heard the commotion the moment she rounded the corner, despite the long corridor that separated her from her squabbling siblings.

The Princess drew a deep breath as she entered the room, trying to determine what had happened.

Aquata and Arista were yanking a pillow back and forth, with Adella seeming to side with the latter, watching and shouting from the side-lines. Alana, who having only weeks ago celebrated her thirteenth birthday, was sat in front of a mirror, dabbing some greyish looking paste onto her nose whilst Andrina watched her with awe and anticipation, her older sister having already applied the product to her skin. Ariel, as usual, was nowhere to be seen.

"What is going on here?" Attina cried, raising her voice to be heard over the clamour and catching the attention of the five younger girls.

Aquata took Arista's lapse of concentration to snatch the pillow from her grasp, swiftly returning to her bed with it. This earned her a scowl from Arista, but nothing more.

It wasn't uncommon, for Arista to take something of Aquata's, in fact it seemed a form of entertainment for the young girl, and Aquata was an easy target. Ever since their mother's death and Eric's subsequent disappearance, she had distanced herself from her sisters. At first she had protested, insisting that they look for their little brother, but her pleas had fallen upon deaf ears, for at the time it hadn't been their biggest concern. Whenever they went for a swim about the kingdom with their father, she had searched for him, paying very little attention to her family. A few days ago, Adella had tried to strike up a conversation about boys and Aquata had broken down in tears, for only one boy came to mind, a boy she hadn't seen nor heard of for half a decade now. She missed him terribly, and it pained her not to speak of him. Alas, her father had demanded she forget him and, regardless of her best attempts, she was beginning to.

Attina ignored her sisters sulking, knowing already the reason for it, and instead turned her attention to Alana who, being the oldest beside her, should have been keeping a closer eye on things, on one little mermaid in particular.

"Where's Ariel?" she asked, pressing her lips together as she regarded Alana with cold eyes.

The teenager, who had managed to tear herself away from the mirror, glanced around and shrugged.

Attina sighed. This was the third time this week that Ariel had gone missing, the youngest daughter of Triton having long ago realised that she could entertain herself far better than any of her sisters. She remembered nothing of her mother, nor of Eric, and so didn't carry about her the same air of distress that her reclusive sisters did. As a result, she was by far the most popular with the residents of Atlantica. More often than not that was where the palace guards found her, making friends. And one day, though it was at this moment unknown, she would make a friend who would change her life forever.


	8. Chapter 8

Nastasya had soon found out about Eric's venture to the edge of the kelp forest; not only because he seemed incapable of lying, but because as sunset had approached that day and he was yet to return home she had gone out in search of him. She had heard him before she'd seen him, and followed the sound of his cries until she had found him lying beside a half empty bag of kelp, barely able to move and aching from fatigue, whereupon she had carried him to the surface and then to shore.

She had scolded him for disobeying her; but, understanding Eric's desire to explore, and to find somebody who might be able to help him, her anger hadn't lasted for long. Questions of the golden city soon followed, and Nastasya tried to remain as truthful as possible. She knew, of course, that they could never go there, regardless of how much and how often Eric pleaded with her to do so.

As the years passed, the questions subsided, and although Eric grew in strength, the pain of his transformation still left him sucking air through his teeth. It was around the age of sixteen that Nastasya began leaving him at night, and it had been his request rather than hers. She had been reluctant to do so, but given that in eleven years not one human had set foot inside the cave, aside from Eric that was, she had eventually agreed to it.

To light a fire was a necessary risk, especially during the coldest months, and there were times when Nastasya feared Eric may not make it through the winter. If someone were to see the orange glow, an exploration would no doubt follow, but without the warmth that it provided, Eric would surely freeze to death. Over the years they had collected sails from the shipwrecks and from where they had been washed onto the shore, but with the ever changing tide and storms that often battered the coast they were nearly always damp if not soaked at the times they were most needed.

There were mornings when Eric would fail to return home, and Nastasya would have to retrieve him from the caves hours after dawn, where she would find him blue-lipped and shivering within the mass of sails that he had desperately wrapped around himself.

Those were the mornings she feared most.

* * *

As time dragged on, each day became monotonous, and Eric hardly found it necessary to think. He would wake with the sun, soaking wet or freezing, often both, and watch with a grimace as his legs fused to form one shimmering appendage, whereupon he would slip beneath the waves and swim home. His mother would greet him with a hug, fretting over every bruise and scratch, both of which became a regular addition to his complexion, as was the result of having nothing but rocks to sleep upon. They would have breakfast together, before going their separate ways, one to the shipwrecks to collect anything that may prove a useful addition to their home and the other into the forest to collect kelp. Personally, Eric preferred the former, for it always promised some sort of adventure, and the chance to see something different; unfortunately for him, today he found himself partaking in the latter.

Still, he supposed it wasn't all bad, at least it was peaceful, and there were plenty of creatures that passed through, some of which his mother had brought home for dinner on occasion. These had been crustaceans mostly, some molluscs, because according to his mother their dissimilarity to merpeople alleviated the guilt somewhat. Eric had to admit it made a welcome change to kelp, but could never bring himself to actually kill for food; and so, kelp it was today.

As he cut, his thoughts returned to the golden city, as it so often did. _Atlantica._ His mother had told him its name, and of the King who ruled there.

 _"_ _I was banished by him for something I did long ago, before you were born. It's me who's in the wrong not you, but I implore you, my love, do not go there, for both our sakes. Look if you must but please… promise me Eric."_

Those were the words spoken to him for the first time five years ago. The seriousness in his mother's voice had made it the last time that Eric had asked why they lived so far away, and why they couldn't go there, if only to visit.

 _"_ _I promise."_ He had replied, and it was a promise that he had kept.

Even now, at eighteen, he hadn't once set out to visit the city. Many a time he had swam to the edge of the kelp forest and gazed upon its magnificence, but never further than that.

Perhaps he would do so today, if time allowed, and he could…

His train of thought came to an abrupt halt as a distant sound caught his attention. It had sounding like a voice… _voices_ maybe? He stopped what he was doing and listened hard.

 _"_ _This way!"_

Closer this time, the words distinguishable… a male's voice.

Had there been more time Eric would have perhaps considered returning home, as it were, he barely had time to think before a flurry of red filled his vision, and simultaneous pressures on his head and chest sent him reeling backwards. After floundering for a moment, the young merman gathered his senses and, putting a hand to his throbbing head, was bewildered to find a girl before him doing the very same.

The voices sounded again and although Eric barely noticed them, the girl's head whipped in their direction, before her eyes alighted upon Eric's.

"Please, don't tell them I'm here!" she said, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. In a flash she darted behind a nearby boulder, her fiery hair drifting like smoke for a moment before she pulled it down and out of sight.

Eric could do nothing but stare, his mouth agape before realising what she had said and turning away just a two large swordfish emerged through the kelp. Even through his wavering awareness Eric felt a pang of fear as their twin blade-like noses halted only inches from his face.

"You there, we're looking for the Princess, have you seen her?" asked one.

Now Eric was completely and utterly confused. _The Princess?_ He glanced subtly towards the rock, barely visible on the edge of his peripheral vision, for a split second before his eyes darted back to the pair before him, not wanting to give away her hiding place. Luckily neither seemed to notice, although they did appear mildly annoyed when he didn't answer their question straight away.

"Answer us boy! We know she came this way!"

Deciding that she must have a good reason for wanting to escape, Eric cleared his throat had prepared himself to do something he had never done before.

"I haven't seen anyone."

Both swordfish narrowed their eyes, and one, the second to speak, drifted forward, until the very tip of his elongated nose collided softly with Eric's neck.

"Lying will cost you your life," the other said coldly, pausing for a moment before continuing. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

Relieved to be able to speak truthfully, Eric replied. "I live here, with my mother, we've a house not far from here." He pointed in the general direction of his home without moving, fearful that one wrong move could be his last, these two didn't seem like the sort to take nonsense. They shared a look, both seeming somewhat surprised at first before one gave a single nod, and the other moved slowly from where he had been placed in front of Eric.

The eighteen year old let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding as the sword-like feature left his skin, and turned so that he could face them both again.

They glared at him, and swiftly turned away to presumably continue their search.

"Stay out of trouble boy, and let us know f you _do_ see her."

Moments later they were out of sight, and Eric was left wondering what in Neptune's name had just happened.

Another moment passed, and a pair of bright blue eyes appeared over the top of the rock. The mermaid stayed hidden for a short while, staring in the direction that the swordfish had left in, before emerging slowly, and with a smile on her face. With one final check to ensure they were alone, she turned to Eric, who she had been watching intently from her hiding place.

"Thank you so much," she gasped, "they've been on my tail for _ages_!"

"You… y-you're a… a Princess" stammered Eric, awestruck by the girl in front of him.

The young mermaid looked to the seabed, seemingly embarrassed, but it was all Eric needed for confirmation. Unsure of how he ought to act around… well anyone… he bent at the waist, wanting to show the proper respect, only to be stopped by the Princess.

"Oh no, please don't!" she begged, waving her hands in unison.

Eric straightened up with an uncertain look in his eyes, but was immediately calmed by the kind look displayed by the Princess, who obviously wasn't the type for formality.

She smiled, much preferring to be treated as anyone else would. "I'm Ariel."

"Eric."

Silence followed, though not the sort that made one feel at all uncomfortable.

Eric couldn't bring himself to look up, afraid that once his eyes met hers he might never be able to tear himself away. Ariel, on the other hand, seemed to be almost studying him, fascinated and contemplating the few words he had spoken since their sudden coming together.

"I'm sorry for swimming into you, you're not hurt are you?" she asked with some alarm.

"No… no, not at all, don't worry about it," replied Eric, and then, with a little more confidence, "why were you swimming from them anyway?"

Ariel sighed. "My father sent them to bring me home, he doesn't like me leaving the city, _leaving the palace actually_. I just… it gets so boring, and there's nobody to talk to, and my sisters are always arguing, and everyone in Atlantica treats us like we're all some sort of deity, and…" She paused to catch her breath. "It's just nice to get out every once in a while, not to feel trapped all the time."

"I know what you mean" muttered Eric, wishing that he had as much courage as Ariel seemed to have, the courage to break his routine.

"Really?" exclaimed Ariel, "but… didn't you say you lived out here?"

Eric nodded.

"How can you feel trapped in a place like this? It must be amazing! Gosh I… I'd give anything to be able to live out here, to wake up and see all of this every day. I can see it from my bedroom window, the forest that is, and it's just… mesmerising, I find myself looking out at it for hours." She averted her gaze. "You probably think that's silly."

"No!" Eric was quick to respond, "I mean, it is beautiful but… isn't the city as well?"

"I guess, but…"

"Eric!"

The two teenagers startled at the sound, turning towards the direction the voice had come from. Eric, of course, recognised it immediately, the voice being the only one he had ever heard until today, although it took him a minute to figure out its urgency. Sunset.

"I'm coming!" he called back.

Ariel smiled, though slightly disappointed that she would soon have to part ways with her new friend.

"I should get going too," she said as Eric turned back to face her, "I'll have to face my father sooner or later."

Eric's sympathy was evident in the facial expression that followed, and he desperately wished there was more he could do to help. Alas, give it ten minutes and he'd be absolutely useless. How had it gotten so late?

"It was nice meeting you" he said.

"You too, and thank you again." With a farewell smile, Ariel turned and sought to begin her journey home.

"Will you come back?"

The Princess laughed musically, calling back over her shoulder. "Wild seahorses couldn't stop me!" And, with that, she disappeared into the dense forest of kelp, and Eric was left staring at the tall plants with a smile on his face.

"Eric!"

Snapping out of his trance, Eric grabbed his abandoned bag of kelp and his dagger before casting one final look in the direction the Princess had swam, and swimming quickly and skilfully home, only to find his mother beside herself with worry.

"Eric what in Neptune's name have you been doing, have you any idea what time it is!"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry" rushed Eric, placing the kelp in the kitchen only to be steered out by his mother.

"No, I'll do that, you go!"

There was time, Eric knew, but there had been too many close calls, and it was much easier on both he and his mother if he was able to get to the caves in his merman form. So, after kissing his mother's cheek, he swam upwards as fast as he could, the memories of his time with Ariel still very much at the forefront of his mind.


End file.
